In general, the present invention relates to convenient means by which to display, inside or outdoors, information about: a product being offered for sale in a wholesale or retail establishment; a home for sale; seeds planted in a garden (garden marker); a type of zoo animal; identification of a natural wonder (such as one might find along a nature trail); and so on. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel holder structure and method of holding a placard with identifying indicia having a unitary upper member engageable to a support member (from which a base may extend, the shape of which will depend upon the environment in which the holder will be used). The upper member has a backing and a front face through which at least a portion of the indicia is visible once a placard is inserted. The support has a recessed top portion for receiving and novel engagement of the upper member.
Many different types of garden markers are available for the formally-trained, as well as recreational gardener. Commercially available seed and plant identification markers tend to have simpler designs so as to not complicate the process of identifying what has been planted. Identification of what lies below ground is especially important for proper care of a plant. If too difficult, or over burdensome, to identify plant variety (including instructions for proper care) at the time of planting--it often simply doesn't get done. Very few of us remember the specific herb, flower, vegetable, tree, shrub, etc. we've planted without a marker located nearby. Proper identification of all types of plants (including trees and shrubs) within an in-door botanical garden, as well as plant nurseries, is also necessary.
While others have proposed various solutions to address the problem of moisture and dirt destroying a marker used outdoors, none of these proposed prior designs offer a simple, yet effective and inexpensive, means of identifying a type of plant that can accommodate seed packets or other existing labeling included with a plant when purchased. Upon closer study, one can see these prior proposed solutions are not feasible for use on a larger, broader scale (both indoors and out) to display identifying indicia taken from existing labeling/packaging such as to offer a home or its contents for sale (yard sign), announce an outdoor event (picnic or festival) give information about a product on sale (price, model), identify a natural wonder or animal along a trail, identify trees in an outdoor nursery, etc.
Therefore, a simple, yet versatile and readily manufacturable solution was needed to place identifying indicia, whether taken from existing labeling, on display. One can appreciate that the novel placard holder and method of the invention described herein, provides moisture-resistant support sized to accept placards, large and small of many shapes (such as empty seed packets or other product packaging, business cards, product literature and advertisement materials, yard or event signs, photos, garment hang-tags, etc.) without requiring substantial modification of existing/preprinted labeling. The innovative placard holder and method are designed for operation in a wide range of uses, whether indoors or out. Placards can be inserted and removed with relative ease (and without special tools) by a salesperson, gardener, ranger, events coordinator, etc. The two pieces of the simple placard holder can then be engaged and (1) "staked" into the ground or other support-medium (for example, to identify plants in one's garden or plant products for sale within a greenhouse, as a yard sign to announce an event, estate sale or sale of a home, and to identify a natural wonder, zoo animal, or deli-product for sale); (2) clipped, or otherwise fastened, to existing product shelving or bookshelves; (3) secured to, or built/molded integral with, a self-standing weighted base so that it can be readily repositioned; and so on.
Unlike garden markers currently available, the holder and method of the invention can accept a placard through oppositely positioned lower edges of a backing and front face of an upper member, and then be engaged within a recessed top portion of a support (it is not critical that this engagement result in a water-resistant seal along the lower edges of the upper member) such that an outwardly-directed protuberance extends generally the length of the recessed top portion. As will be appreciated, in the spirit of the design goals of the instant invention: the upper member's lower edges (preferably contoured to correspond with the contour of the recess in the top portion) may be suitably engaged within the support's recessed top portion by sliding engagement, downward snap-fit or press-fit engagement, and so on; the lower edge portions may inwardly dovetail (whether, or not, to the point of interlocking); and the outwardly-directed protuberance may be of many different shapes.